Competitiveness of region focus of PlanET meeting

Monday

Dec 31, 2012 at 5:50 PMDec 31, 2012 at 5:51 PM

Several Anderson County leaders will participate in a symposium on advancing East Tennessee’s regional competitiveness on Wednesday, Jan. 9, hosted by Plan East Tennessee, known as PlanET, in partnership with Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley.

Several Anderson County leaders will participate in a symposium on advancing East Tennessee’s regional competitiveness on Wednesday, Jan. 9, hosted by Plan East Tennessee, known as PlanET, in partnership with Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley.

The symposium is titled “Advancing Regional Competitiveness.”

“This event will draw together the wealth of expertise in the region from both the public and private sectors to uncover the critical issues of regional competitiveness for East Tennessee — including a look at where we are now and how to become a more competitive region 10, 20 or 30 years from now,” said Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, chairman of PlanET’s board of mayors, which includes mayoral leaders of all five PlanET counties — Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon and Union.

“Competitiveness is not just about job creation and economic growth, although those aspects are cornerstones,” Beehan said in a news release. “It’s also about creating a place where people want to live because the quality-of-life drivers are strong.”

The symposium intends to provide a platform for people — particularly professionals from diverse areas of the business community — to share the successes and challenges they’ve experienced, with the aim of advancing dialogue about East Tennessee’s competitiveness for future generations.

Moderated by Ted Abernathy, executive director of the Southern Growth Policies Board, the symposium will feature panels focused on preparing the area’s workforce and positioning the region for economic prosperity by capitalizing on the quality of life assets essential to keeping and attracting talent, recruiting industry and retaining businesses in a global marketplace.

In addition to Beehan and Abernathy, the event will include Thom Mason, Oak Ridge National Laboratory director; and Diane Davidson, director of the ORNL Center for Transportation Analysis. Other key leaders from the area include Robert Martineau, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation; Jim Evans, vice president of air services for McGhee Tyson Airport; Doug Lawyer, vice president of economic development for Innovation Valley; David Mansouri, director of advocacy and communications for SCORE; Carol Evans, executive director of Legacy Parks Foundation; Cindy McConkey, senior vice president of Scripps Networks Interactive; and Matt Murray, director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy.

Doors will open for the symposium at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St., in downtown Knoxville at 12:30 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 9, 2013, with the event taking place from 1 to 4:30 p.m. A networking reception will follow. Seating is limited. Online registration is required and available at www.planeasttn.org/ETcompetes.

The public is encouraged to follow PlanET, as well as the upcoming symposium online at www.planeasttn.org, on Facebook and on Twitter via @PlanEastTN and #ETCompetes.

As PlanET, which began in late summer 2011, enters its third and final phase in 2013, the symposium will help focus the ideas generated in Phases One and Two to create a targeted, meaningful outcome.

Phase One (August 2011 to July 2012) brought East Tennesseans together to establish a shared identity and vision. Phase Two (April 2012 to March 2013) takes that vision and develops a shared direction with continued citizen input. Phase Three (January 2013 to December 2013) will produce and report the final product and, with continued citizen input, focus on implementation activities.

Plan East Tennessee (PlanET) is a regional partnership of communities building a shared direction for the future of Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon and Union counties. PlanET seeks ideas about protecting valuable resources and addressing challenges regarding jobs, housing, transportation, a clean environment, and community health.

The goal: to create long-term solutions for investments in the region and to define the next chapter in the region’s rich history, leaving a legacy of optimism and opportunity for future generations.